HIT A PLATEAU-HELP!

darlinglovestory
darlinglovestory Posts: 27
in Health and Weight Loss
I am doing Weight Watchers and have hit a plateau and have been stuck at the same weight for....months!

What are some tips on getting past a plateau!?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • ChangingJosh
    ChangingJosh Posts: 37 Member
    darlinglovest,

    What are you doing for exercise?
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    I was walking 2-4 miles per day stopped about a week ago hoping that might help but I'm still stuck.
  • ChangingJosh
    ChangingJosh Posts: 37 Member
    Walking is good. I'd stick with it. Do you know how many calories you're burning and how many calories you're consuming? You've got to create a deficit to lose weight. :)
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    are you eating enough? Are you meeting your Net calories daily?

    Informative article:
    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    from the blog:

    In my experience, the solution to ending a weight-loss plateau means modifying the most extreme measure of the current weight loss plan. What is the most extreme part of a plan? It’s the part of a plan that a dieter does too much or too little. It’s an extreme of too many or not enough calories, cardio work, or strength training.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Walking is good. I'd stick with it. Do you know how many calories you're burning and how many calories you're consuming? You've got to create a deficit to lose weight. :)

    I agree - I certainly wouldn't stop exercising to break a plateau - I'd eat more
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Well, I'm doing WW and that isn't by calories. Its points. So, I am eating my points, exactly. Not really counting calories and I burn about 330 calories when I walk 2 miles. So, about 1650 per week burned when I walk Mon-Fri.
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Blaaah, I already feel like I eat so much!!

    I will continue to work out I suppose.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    I was walking 2-4 miles per day stopped about a week ago hoping that might help but I'm still stuck.
    Body is used to current exercise. Once the body adapts, it "allocates" calories for set exercise. Try just increasing your intensity................walking faster would be one way. Another would be to walk up hill.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Well, I'm doing WW and that isn't by calories. Its points. So, I am eating my points, exactly. Not really counting calories and I burn about 330 calories when I walk 2 miles. So, about 1650 per week burned when I walk Mon-Fri.

    Do you use a Heart Rate Monitor to calculate calorie burn?
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Thanks. Should I change the way I eat or anything?
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
    Hi darlinglovestory, I asked the same thing on here, and a lot of people recommended weight training. It burns more calories and promotes the growth of lean muscle mass (over time of course). So that's what I'm starting to do :) Maybe you should let up on the cardio a little bit, and do more heavy weight training?
  • Sylvia529
    Sylvia529 Posts: 5 Member
    you need to reload... for 1 or 2 days you need to eat "whatever" you want, but keep it under control. I hit a plateau and had a healthy breakfast, 2 snacks and then a burger and some sweet potato fries from BK, then yesterday i had some popcorn at a movie theatre and im starting to go down again. its good practice to reload atleast 1 time every two weeks. its like restarting your metabolism
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    No, I use an app on my cell phone that tracks my distance, speed and calories burned.
  • RideOn66
    RideOn66 Posts: 12 Member
    Exactly. I would actually try running. Increasing the intensity is important.
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    I can try this. I actually tried a "3daydiet" where I ate 1000 calories per day for 3 days and only certain foods. It didn't work. lol

    I do well not eating many carbs, too.
  • run2bfree
    run2bfree Posts: 108 Member
    I was walking 2-4 miles per day stopped about a week ago hoping that might help but I'm still stuck.
    Body is used to current exercise. Once the body adapts, it "allocates" calories for set exercise. Try just increasing your intensity................walking faster would be one way. Another would be to walk up hill.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    THIS! You gotta mix it up to get off the plateau Go take a fitness class (zumba, pyo strength or get on a different machine)..
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    This is what I'll probably do! I need to start jogging, actually. Thanks!
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Cool, thanks everyone. I think I will start jogging and see if that helps.
  • phoenix7039
    phoenix7039 Posts: 32
    try shaking things up a bit. cut back on carbs or cut out gluten and/or dairy. do something you haven't tried yet with the types of food you eat. sometimes your body just needs a change.
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Thanks :) I am thinking about cutting out carbs.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    No, I use an app on my cell phone that tracks my distance, speed and calories burned.

    I'd get a HRM to calculate your calorie burn. From everything I've read - the 'average person' burns about 100 calories per mile - depending on your age, size and fitness level. if you are over-estimating 130 calories a day - times 5 days, that's a 650 calorie difference.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    You might start counting your fuits and vegetables calories. I know that with WW they are considered 0 points food but they do make a difference
  • suemarotz
    suemarotz Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks OP for this post and all the informative replies. I have been doing WW/MFP and the Body by Vi CHallenge for almost a year and I have gained and lost the same 15 lbs like 3 times, I want the scale to go down once and stay down. Walking and ZUmba have been my go to exercises so I think I need to take the advice posted here and grab some heavy weights and feel the burn. I am scared of running, but maybe if I tried it I wouldnt feel like I used to in gym class. Thanks for the posts!!
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    You might start counting your fuits and vegetables calories. I know that with WW they are considered 0 points food but they do make a difference

    I may quit WW for awhile and start jogging more and just using MFP. Idk.
  • tinamarie014069
    tinamarie014069 Posts: 26
    Even though you are doing weight watchers you should keep track of calories...just to know. I lost 40 pounds then hit a plateau. That is when I joined this site and last week I lost 4 pounds. I wasn't eating enough. Are you doing weight training also? I would recommend adding some weight training. Building muscle helps burn calories. Good Luck!!! You'll get moving again. Try not to get frustrated. :)
  • lilcassers
    lilcassers Posts: 163
    Interval training for sure. When you just walk, your body get's used to it. I would look up various interval training workouts for walking/jogging.
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Thanks OP for this post and all the informative replies. I have been doing WW/MFP and the Body by Vi CHallenge for almost a year and I have gained and lost the same 15 lbs like 3 times, I want the scale to go down once and stay down. Walking and ZUmba have been my go to exercises so I think I need to take the advice posted here and grab some heavy weights and feel the burn. I am scared of running, but maybe if I tried it I wouldnt feel like I used to in gym class. Thanks for the posts!!

    I acutally lost my first 50 lbs by eating right and doing Zumba about 5 days a week at home. The Cardio Party for 45 minutes really works.
  • darlinglovestory
    darlinglovestory Posts: 27
    Even though you are doing weight watchers you should keep track of calories...just to know. I lost 40 pounds then hit a plateau. That is when I joined this site and last week I lost 4 pounds. I wasn't eating enough. Are you doing weight training also? I would recommend adding some weight training. Building muscle helps burn calories. Good Luck!!! You'll get moving again. Try not to get frustrated. :)

    Thanks! I Think I am going to take a break from WW and do MFP and jog and see if it helps then get back on WW.
  • tigermom12
    tigermom12 Posts: 39
    Something else to think about is if you are sensitive to carbs, you might also be sensitive to fruits and sodium too. I did WW for a very long time and just couldn't really be successful at it. I was always hungry and bloated. I switched over to MFP and boy was it an eye opener! I had no idea how much sodium I was eating! That is the reason I was always bloated. Sure, WW has meals, treats, etc but that doesn't make it good for everybody. Also, just because fruit is 0 points, I would still limit my servings to one maybe 2 per day. Maybe try logging your food into MFP and see the "whole" picture and not just points. Good luck to you!
  • yksdoris
    yksdoris Posts: 327 Member
    This is what I'll probably do! I need to start jogging, actually. Thanks!

    weigths are nice, they startle your body in a good way. and they're much less boring than just cardio.

    But if you don't feel like joining a gym you can do your own HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - the idea is to do a minute of your standard excercise (walk), then 10 seconds as hard as you can (sprint), then a minute of your standard excercise, then again 10 seconds as hard as you can. You can vary the proportions, for instance 5 minutes vs 1 minute or 2 minutes vs 30 seconds.

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